


The season of giving

by SuperSilliness



Category: Holby City
Genre: Berena Secret Santa, F/F, Gift Giving, big life decisions, tis the season
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 14:47:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17123372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperSilliness/pseuds/SuperSilliness
Summary: Serena was very excited to give her gift to Bernie but would she be expecting what she would receive in return.





	The season of giving

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sosayweall777](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sosayweall777/gifts).



> This story was part of the Berena Secret Santa for Elizabeth Sosaywefrakkinall whose prompt was 'Hannukah menorah and Xmas tree'.  
> She was very forgiving and allowed me to enjoy my birthday celebrations and only finish her story a day late.  
> Editing with a hangover is an interesting endeavor but I hope she and all of you enjoy the result.

Serena was a woman who loved any excuse for celebration. Christmas was the perfect excuse for an excessive array of decorations along with a generous helping of food and wine. She may not have any religious ties to it but she loved everything that went with it. This year was going to be a little different as it was the first since Bernie had returned to stay and so that gave it a little more weight. They would be having all the family over at her house this year for the main event but Serena had decided she wanted to have a special moment with just herself and Bernie so had decided they would have a nice and quiet meal for the just the two of them on Christmas Eve. Her main motivation for this evening was to ask Bernie to move in with her. She would have had her living with long before now but she was aware that Bernie had worked hard to gain back her independence and she didn’t want to presume that she would be willing to give that up just for them to play happy families. Over the last few months, their relationship had truly developed into something that was very the fabric of her day to day life. Whenever they were both off the same evenings, they spent those nights together at Serena’s and it was only the occasions that they found themselves working opposite shifts that they would spend nights on their own. Serena hadn’t expected to want to so willingly give up her space that she had worked so hard to earn for herself as well but she had reached a point now where those nights spent alone simply felt like the waiting period for when Bernie would return. At first that attachment had scared her but she had slowly come to take comfort in having someone you could trust so completely.

As Christmas eve drew nearer, Serena excitement only began to grow, she had started to whittle down her list of potential meals she could cook for the evening as well getting her list together for the gifts she was going to buy everyone.

‘Bernie, I was wondering if you wanted to come together on some gifts for the family this year or have you got ahead of me and already bought them all?’

‘Umm, I hadn’t thought of that, I have already started getting gifts, maybe we could get some joint gifts’ Bernie laughed somewhat nervously.

Serena wasn’t sure why Bernie didn’t seem fully herself but knew how much Bernie loved planning gifts in advance so didn’t think too much of it.

‘That’s okay darling, I’ll let you continue to outshine me in the gift giving’ Serene winked at her ‘especially as it means I always get thoroughly spoiled’

‘Oh I think you tend to make it up to me afterwards’ 

And with a cheeky pat to the backside, Bernie escaped their office leaving a very flustered Serena in her wake.   
‘Well two can play at that game…’

____________________

Christmas eve arrived without the bells and whistles, the two women had gotten stuck into a trauma surgery that had taken them through the night and despite their best efforts, they had to inform two young mothers that their 3 year old daughter had not made it. When they finally returned home, they both held each other through the night as they tried to get through the memories of the heartache. Serena knew the loss of the child but even she couldn’t have imagined if it had happened at such a young age. Bernie had been so conscious of Serena’s hurt that it had taken a lot persuasion for Serena to get Bernie to be open about how she was feeling. She could tell her partner was trying to hold back her hurt for fear of burdening Serena. She was as ever her big macho army medic with a heart of gold underneath it all.   
Serena had dragged herself out of bed in the morning and put on the coffee machine. The smell of fresh coffee greeted Bernie as she slowly made her way into the kitchen. Serena poured them two big mugs and settled herself down onto the sofa.

‘So darling, as much as I’m not feeling entirely in the spirit, I am going to be preparing a lovely meal for you tonight so I was thinking we could maybe cheer ourselves up by going for a quick brunch in that new café in town, what do you think?’

Bernie took a moment to respond as she cosied up beside her.

‘I hadn’t thought of that but it could be nice. Would it be okay if we go in separate cars? It’s just after last night going the way it did, I need to pop home to pick up the gifts for everyone’

‘Hmm not trying to sneak away to do some last-minute shopping are we?’

Bernie let out her signature honk of laughter.

‘Not this time, though I may need to pick up a few rolls of wrapping paper’

‘Ha! If you need to wrap them, I’ll probably be dishing up the dinner by the time you arrive’

‘Cheeky! But I’ll let you away with it this time Ms. Campbell’

‘Oh really and what would you do if you weren’t going to?’

‘Maybe I’ll show you tonight if you’re good’

The pair put their long-perfected skills of kissing without spilling coffee to good use. 

_________________

Brunch had turned out to be a fabulous decision as they had ended up seated next to some very excited children who spent the entire time telling anyone who would listen about Santa coming. It was hard not to have your spirits lifted by their joy. Serena had sent Bernie on her way after that and was now, hours later, happily putting the finishing touches to her dinner. Bernie was due to arrive shortly so Serena was getting her gift ready. She had decided she would give it to her after the meal when they were settled in the sitting. Just like every time she was nervous about something, she had the evening entirely planned out. Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the door opening.

‘I’m here’ Bernie’s voice rang through.

‘In the kitchen’

‘Oh perfect, I’ll be in to you in a second, I’m just gonna put the gifts in the sitting room’

‘Okay don’t worry about putting them under the tree properly yet, we can sort that later’

Bernie made her way into kitchen and wrapped her arms around Serena from behind.

‘Oh something smells divine’

‘I mean aside from me, I thought seafood chowder would make for a nice warming meal for us to relax with tonight’

‘Sounds good to me’

_______________________

The pair retired to the sitting room after their food, both feeling very full.

‘I have a chocolate cake and some fancy vanilla ice cream for dessert but honestly I think I need to digest that dinner before I even think of eating it’

‘That’s fine with me especially as I’ve been counting down the minutes until I could give you my gift’

‘Oh major, so no last-minute gifting affairs for you then. How about I go first though, okay?’

‘Fine but I’ll try not to be too impatient’

Serena retrieved the little box from under the tree. She had also got Bernie some ridiculously expensive running gear but that would be saved for opening with the entire family. Now was all about the key. She knew it was somewhat kitsch to put a key in a box but she couldn’t think of anything that meant more to her. 

She watched as Bernie unwrapped it and realisation suddenly dawned on her.

‘Serena I’m gonna need you to tell me I’m not jumping to conclusions’ 

Bernie looked at her while tentatively holding the key, Serena couldn’t hold back her emotions.

‘Well it’s totally okay if you say no’ Serena started, though knew her heart would break a little if Bernie did decide this ‘but I just feel that now that we are both staying in Holby for the foreseeable that it would be nice if we did that under the same roof. I know how much your own place means to you and I understand if you don’t want to give that up especially..’

Serena was cut off by the major kissing her with her usual unrelenting intensity. 

‘Yes, I would love to wake up with you every day, and maybe do some of the cleaning too’

Serena laughed ‘that’ll be the day’

‘Well after all that, I’m not sure my gift will live up to that standard but I hope you like it’

Bernie retrieved a small rectangular box from the top of the pile of gifts.

‘I’ve a few more things for tomorrow but this is something I wanted to give you now’

Serena could see how nervous Bernie had become as she slowly unwrapped her gift. She gasped as she saw the contents.

‘Okay I know you’ve been talking a lot about wanting to connect a little more with your family’s Jewish history and I know Christmas is probably not the most appropriate time for a gift to reflect but honestly the moment I saw it I knew I couldn’t wait until your birthday to give it to you, I hope you like it?’

Serena realised that she hadn’t said a word so far as she stared at the gift in her hands.

‘It’s beautiful’ 

It was a silver necklace with a star of David pendant which had a blue opal inlay that seemed to have some green speckles in it as it was moved in the light. It was breath-taking and had taken Serena completely by surprise.

‘Well roomie, would you mind putting it on me?’

‘With pleasure’

Serena went over to the mirror to see how she looked with her new addition. It felt lovely and as Bernie came up behind her with a matching smile on her face, Serena knew that she was one lucky lady.

**Author's Note:**

> So I went in a slightly different direction with the Jewish elements but I hope it fits the bill and yes the gift was inspired by the necklace that Elizabeth always wears though hers is a different kind of blue.  
> Please leave me a comment to let me know what you thought.


End file.
